The Return to the Mirror
by HollywoodHearts
Summary: the mirror of erised returns!


The Return to the Mirror

I wrote this because the idea came to me while reading hp1 for like the 4th time. It has a little R/hr and n/l, along with a lot of g/h!!!

So many lives lost, so many tears shed.

Harry walked down the torn halls of Hogwarts for what seemed like the first time in ages. Though the truth was, he had been there all night, fighting. The adrenaline was pumping so fast though his body all through the night, that it had made hours seem like seconds.

_It's over. Voldemort is dead._

Thoughts like this continued to race through his head as he observed all of the differences between the Hogwarts Harry remembered, and the one he saw before him. The cracked statues, red, blood-stained floors, and destroyed walls were what he saw. Nothing like the familiar first-home he had been introduced to seven years before.

As he turned the corner to face the undecorated Great Hall, he saw a massive clump of what seemed like rag dolls, but quickly realized that he was seeing the Weasley family, all together around the one person in the clan that didn't make it; Fred. Only this time he was not only seeing a mass of red, but one bushy haired, tall brunette entwined with who he recognized as his best friend, Ronald.

"Finally, Ron and Hermione realize their feelings, but not just that, their snogging!" Harry quickly said to himself. As he continued to stare at the mass of red and brown that was his two best friends, he pushed his fist into his mouth to repress his laugh.

Then he looked at the other members of the Weasley family, his family. They did not seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the second youngest member of the clan, Ron. He looked at Mrs. Weasley, tears streaming down her red and cut face. Then to Mr. Weasley, and the rest of his sons, who all seemed to be repressing tears. He had never seen Mr. Weasley so unhappy, or so depressed. He chanced a glance across the room to the other tables. There sitting in the middle of the Slitherine table was the Malfoy family. Mother holding son, Father holding both, it seemed so wrong for them to be just sitting there, but at the same time he was thankful for the mother, for she had saved his life, by lying to her master.

At the table next to the clump of red, he saw a sight that he thought he would never see; Neville, holding onto a well recognizable blonde girl, their faces latched onto each other. Just then he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"My, my. I never thought I'd see the day that old Nev got a girl." He turned to see Ron holding hands with his newly found girlfriend, Hermione. Ron opened his mouth to say something, most likely about the girl he had just recognized that was still embracing Neville, but Hermione put her hand over to his mouth.

"And he picked the best one too, Luna." She exclaimed and then sat down at the Gryffindor table with her two best friends.

"Ron, I'm really sorry about Fred." As Harry said this, he saw Ron's cheerful attitude quickly change. He then looked at Hermione and then said to Harry,

"It's ok, mate. We knew coming into this with you would mean losses." Harry was glad to see Ron taking this so well. "By the way," Ron started, "where is the girl you should be snogging right about now?" Harry was taken back by this question. He had just now realized that the youngest member of Ron's family had been absent from this group mourning. Before Ron could say anything else, Harry dashed out of the room and into the halls of Hogwarts.

This time, he wasn't wandering around aimlessly, he was looking for the girl he loved, the girl he had been separated from for quite some time, Ginny. Seeing Ron and Hermione stare at each other every spare second on there long journey to find horcruxes had made him miss the stolen minutes in Gryffindor tower or the burrow with his girlfriend. But throughout the journey these thoughts were repressed by the fact that Ginny was no longer his girlfriend, he had broken up with her at Dumbledore's funeral. He told her it was for her safety.

"Ouch!!!" Harry yelled as he ran nose first into a solid oak door that had materialized just as he turned a corner. Rubbing his nose, he reached for the handle and slowly turned it. Sliding inch by inch into the dark room, he saw something large and shiny standing in the middle of the room. He slowly and cautiously moved towards the large silver and wooden object and stood in front of it, open jawed. He saw something he had only seen once in his first year.

"What the…how the…but I thought?" Harry was at a loss for words, standing in front of him was the infamous Mirror of Erised. "What the bloody hell is going on here? I thought this thing has been gone for years!?" he managed to spit out. He slowly circled the mirror, which was still much taller than him. In his first year the thing seemed like a giant compared to his eleven-year-old body. He had sat there for hours looking at it until Professor Dumbledore had seen him and told him that it was going to be moved. There he stood, wide eyed, looking at something that he thought he would never see again.

He thought about what he had seen the last time; his mom and dad, standing behind him, their hands on his shoulders. He thought about what Ron had seen: him as head boy, Quittitch world cup champion, captain of the team.

He thought about what Ron had said, "What if it shows the future?"

Harry had retorted this by saying, "How could it? My parents are dead."

He thought of what Dumbledore had said, "It shows nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire or our hearts." He took one step over and was standing right in front of the mirror, just as he had almost seven years ago.

It took him several seconds to realize what he was looking at. His red haired, green eyed mother was standing on his left, while his black haired, glasses wearing father was on his right. He noticed something else though. In the background of the reflection, he saw four people, not much older then him. They looked like they were in there late twenties. Jumping back a bit, he realized that one of the couples on the couch was an older version of Ginny and him, holding two children, with one on the floor near their feet, one was in Ginny's arms, baby girl who looked just born, with piercing green eyes and a tuft of red hair. There was a boy in Harry's lap, who looked about one. He had black hair and the same green eyes. Sitting next to Harry was another boy who looked about two. With almost identical traits to his sister, red hair and the well-noticed green eyes.

Upon looking at the other couple, he was once again startled to see an older version of Ron and Hermione, also holding two children. One was a girl who looked about one, with the same light brown hair as her mother, though there was not enough to become bushy. The other was a boy who looked just born, with the same red locks as his dad, but it was only on the very top of his head.

Harry stood there open jawed for a couple moments, taking in the image standing before him. He had never thought about his hearts desire after the last time he saw the mirror, but now he realized that this was really what he had been longing for all along; to start a family with Ginny, and to see Ron and Hermione have happy lives, but mostly Ginny. Suddenly he heard a creaking sound behind him. Without even hesitating, he reached in his robe pocket and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak and draped it over his head. In all the excitement, he had forgotten to go and look for Ginny. He ran out of the room and out the way he had come from, hoping she had gone to the great hall to join all of her friends and family.

Ginny Weasley walked into the Great Hall to find three very big surprises. As she entered the large room, she first saw a large group of red-headed people huddling over one spot on the Gryffindor table. She realized that this as her very large family, and started to run towards them, but she stopped dead in her tracks. There, right in front of her was Harry Potter, the love of her life.

She stood watching him for what seemed like hours, but he did not see her because he was looking at something else. She followed his eyes and saw one of the most long awaited things in her life, her brother, Ronald Billius Weasley, and her best friend, Hermione Jean Granger, entwined in the same chair a mere feet away from her parents, yet they seemed not to notice. Then she followed his widened eyes to another spot where, to her amazement, were Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood also entwined in a chair, and still her parents didn't notice.

When she looked back at where Ron and Hermione had been, she saw Ron standing up and tapping Harry on the shoulder.

"My, my. I never thought I'd see the day that old Nev got a girl." He told him once he had turned around. He and Hermione still were holding hands. Then she heard one of the most shocking things of her life. Harry's mouth opened and sent her world spinning.

"Ron, I'm really sorry about Fred." She opened her moth to make herself noticed and to ask her brother what had happened to Fred, but nothing came out. So she got up and went to the place where her parents were. There, on the cold, hard table was the lifeless body of her older brother, Fred. She sat there with silent tears streaming down her face, when she heard Ron say something that sent her into another wave of shock.

"By the way," Ron started, "where is the girl you should be snogging right about now?" Harry seemed to think on this question for a second and then ran out of the great hall before Ron could say another word. For a second, she had the urge to run after him and snog him senseless, but instead she broke into tears. Ron saw a sobbing Ginny and ran over to her pulling Hermione by the wrist.

"Ginny, what the bloody hell is wrong?" he asked while trying to comfort her. Ron and Hermione both put their arms around her.She shrugged them off and looked Ron right in the eye and then answered.

"Um, let's see! My brother is dead, I just had to fight off thirty bloody death eaters, and bloody hell Ron, you just said it yourself! My boyfriend just ran off to go snogg some other girl!" she yelled and then collapsed in his arms sobbing. Ron seemed utterly flabbergasted.

"What?!" Ron and Hermione spit out simultaneously.

"Some other girl, Gin?" Ron asked.

Hermione cut him off before he could say another word, "Ginny, he was talking about you, all he's been able to talk about since we left is you. Ron and I have had to keep our relationship a secret because we didn't want to make him feel bad about leaving you behind." Ginny looked up at Hermione in utter amazement.

"What? So he still likes me? Well I guess that obvious if he wants to snogg me!" Ginny almost yelled.

"Senseless!" Ron added but bowed his head when he caught Hermione glaring.

"Bloody Hell!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and the ran out of the common room just as Harry did without letting Ron say another word.

She ran through countless hallways before running into a solid oak door that seemed to come out of nowhere. She slowly opened the door to see Harry standing in front of a very old looking mirror. He looked like he was about to faint from shock, so she started to open the door again, but when she did it made a squeaking noise and before she knew it Harry was pulling on his cloak and pushing past her through the door.

Since Harry seemed to think the mirror was interesting, she walked over to it and began to circle it just as Harry did. Then she stood straight before it and looked at herself, almost like she would in the morning to apply make-up. Then to her utter surprise she saw her reflection change. In her reflection, she was no longer wearing her torn robes, but a beautiful, long white gown and holding flowers. Her face had changed too. She looked a bit older, not by much though. Then when she looked at who was standing next to her in the mirror, and had to look next to her to make sure it wasn't real. There, in a white and black tux was Harry. Standing behind them was someone she had recognized for working for the Ministry. Obviously, she was getting married to Harry.

She stood there speechless for a couple minutes and then bolted for the door, trying to find Harry once again. She ran straight into the Great hall without even thinking and saw Harry standing there talking to Ron and Hermione, both looking like they were going to laugh, but at the same time surprised too.

After Harry left the room with the mirror in it, he ran straight back to the Great Hall. There he saw Ron and Hermione, once again, were snogging each other senseless in the same chair, but this time Ron's family did notice. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were staring with amazement on their faces, but his soon turned into a small smile, while Percy, George, Bill, and Charlie were all laughing and making kissing sounds. Harry ran up to them and tapped Ron on the shoulder.

"What? Can you see that I'm busy?" he said and he emerged from Hermione's arms looking similar to what he had looked like in the Room of Requirement, like he had been hit with a bludger.

"Yeah," Harry stated, "and so can everyone else!" he finished. Ron and Hermione both looked at the Weasley family. The sons were still laughing, hard, and the parents had also started to chuckle.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Ron whispered to Hermione who was grinning like the Cheshire cat at Ron's ruby red ears.

"Um, guys, I need to talk to you."

As Harry told Ron and Hermione what he had seen in the mirror, they looked both surprised and like they were going to double over laughing. Hermione had never heard of the mirror so Ron and Harry took the time to tell them what had happened that night with Ron and Dumbledore.

Then Ron and Hermione told Harry what had happened with Ginny. Harry said multiple times,

"She thought I was going to kiss another girl?" he paused, "Even after what happened on my birthday? Oh bloody hell, I shouldn't have told you that!" Harry had to explain what exactly had happened to Hermione but Ron already knew since he had run in on them.

Just then Ginny came running into the Hall looking quite surprised.

"Harry!" she yelled. And before either could say another word she pressed her lips against his and hoped for a response.

When he pulled back, he said, "Wow!" They both took turns telling each other what had happened with the mirror, and somehow Harry didn't seem surprised to Ginny when she told him what she had seen. This was later explained by telling Ginny what he had seen. Ron and Hermione were absolutely beaming as was Ginny at the news. They knew it wasn't for sure, but it was at least a possibility.

After everyone had a chance to talk to everyone, Ron and Harry asked if they could be excused. Both of them stopped outside of the Hall and were talking in hushed tones.

"I think we should do it tonight." Harry stated.

"What?" asked Ron.

"Ron, what have we been saving up all of our money for the past year and a half for?" he asked.

"Oh!" he replied and without another word the summoned two black velvet boxes.

When they returned, Ginny and Hermione asked why they were beaming so much.

"Oh nothing!" was their reply. Harry took Ginny by the hand and led her to a corner, as did Ron with Hermione.

"Ginny?" he asked.

"Yes?" she said

"I know we've been separated for a really long time now and you may bloody well hate me, but I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." And he opened the box to reveal a gold and ruby ring.

"Harry, is this because of what you saw in the mirror?"

He firmly stated, "No. Remember what I said, it doesn't show the future, it shows your hearts desire, and if that doesn't prove that I love you than I don't know what bloody will!"

"Oh Harry!"

"So?" he asked pleadingly.

"Of coarse I will you bloody adorable git!"

And with that they were snogging each other senseless again, but were broken apart by squeals from Hermione and then Mrs. Weasley when she saw their rings. Once again everything was right with the world.

Epilogue

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were all married in a joint wedding in October first following the May war. Obviously, Ron and Hermione had two kids, Rose and Hugo, in that order. Harry and Ginny had three kids, James, Albus Severus, and Lily.


End file.
